- By Kamal Kumar
- Sun, 06 Oct 2024 09:13 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Muizzu In India: Amid the slowly restoring bilateral relationships, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is all set to begin his five-day visit to New Delhi from today. Muizzu, on his first bilateral visit to India, is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials of the government, news agency IANS reported.
On his last visit, which came earlier this year, Muizzu attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on June 9. He also met PM Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December 2023.
To Also Visit Bengaluru, Mumbai
Maldives President Muizzu will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru to hold meetings with the business leaders, trying to woo them with investment opportunities in the island nation which is battling with harsh economic conditions due to a steep decline in Indian tourists.
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"President Dr Muizzu remains committed to enhancing bilateral ties with nations that play a crucial role in the development and growth of the Maldives, ensuring a dynamic and proactive foreign policy for the nation... Discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation and further enhancing the longstanding relationship between the two nations," Maldives President's Office stated in an official release.
'Visit Signifies Ties Between Two Countries'
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Maldives President Muizzu, accompanied by a high-level delegation from his country, will also be visiting Mumbai and Bengaluru to engage in business engagements.
"The visit signifies the importance India attaches to its relations with Maldives. It is expected to lend further momentum to cooperation and robust people-to-people ties between the two countries," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing on Friday.
In August, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar undertook an official three-day visit to the Maldives, marking his first trip to the nation since beginning his second term in June. Before this, he had travelled to the strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago in January 2023, underscoring India's emphasis on the Maldives within its 'Neighbourhood First' and 'SAGAR' initiatives.
"The visit of President Dr Muizzu to India after the recent visit of the External Affairs Minister to the Maldives is testimony to the importance that India attaches to its relations with the Maldives," the MEA said in a statement on Friday.